Rotary reciprocating engine with synchronization mechanism

ABSTRACT

A rotary reciprocating engine has a rotating center shaft and a rotating outer rim with a rotational eccentricity in relation to the center shaft. The engine has a synchronization mechanism including a synchronizing hub, a guide rail, one cam member fitted to the center shaft, and another cam member fitted to the outer rim. The synchronization mechanism has the same rotational eccentricity in relation to the center shaft as the outer rim, but the rotational axes of the synchronization mechanism and the outer rim are on opposite sides of the rotational axis of the center shaft. The synchronization mechanism restrictively guides rotation of the center shaft and the outer rim, and transfers and balances the forces and moments generated by the pressure medium in the engine, leading to the pistons and cylinders being subjected to axially directed forces only and not moment transferring cross head forces.

The device is a radial reciprocating engine provided with a built insynchronizing mechanism, which is intended to be driven as pump or motorand which may be designed with a fixed or an infinitely adjustabledisplacement. By actuation of the synchronizing mechanism, both of therotating main portions of the engine [the centre shaft 1 and the outerrim 2] are urged to rotate at a synchronous speed and the mechanismsimultaneously causes; on one hand a transfer of the forces generated bythe pressure medium and on the other hand a balancing by means of theforce moment, which from the outside is supplied or led away through theshaft journal of the machine. In connection hereto is also obtained arelieving of the cross head forces on the pistons 11 and cylinders 10,fitted between the centre shaft 1 and the outer rim 2. The synchronizingmechanism consists of a synchronizing hub 3, supported thus that itscentre of rotation coincides with the line c--c and being designed witha guide rail-provided control arm, which in combination with two camrollers 24 and 23, affixed to the centre shaft 1 and to the outer rim 2resp., causes a restricted rotation of these portions. The centre shaft1, with the rotational centre a--a, is supported in fixed bearings inthe machine frame. At distance e, on both sides of the line a--a arefound the rotational centres b--b and c--c for the outer rim and for thesynchronizing hub 3 resp. In machines of the type having an adjustabledisplacement a parallel displacement of these rotational centres iseffected towards the line a--a with the result that the flow volume atfirst is reduced to 0 and thereupon, at continued adjustment, increasesto the original value, but with a reversal of the flow direction.

The following drawings are attached hereto:

Drawing I shows a machine designed for constant displacement

FIG. 1--longitudinal section

FIG. 2--cross section 2--2

FIG. 3--section 3--3 of the synchronization hub

Drawing II shows a machine with adjustable displacement

FIG. 4--longitudinal section

FIG. 5--two cross section 5--5

FIG. 6--external view of the adjustment apparatus

Drawing III shows three schematical sketches

FIG. 7--simplification of section 2--2 to FIG. 2

FIG. 8--load and moment distribution at an arbitrary

and 9--angular rotation α° at forward and rearward position resp.

DRAWING I

In the machine with constant displacement is shown that the frameconsists of a shell 4 with two bearing bracings 5 and 6 bolted theretoand having built in bearings 7 and 8 for the centre shaft 1, one end ofwhich is shaped into a shaft journal for force transmission and with theopposite end thereof shaped to receive the feed slide 9. Externally thecentre shaft in section d--d has a number of spherical borings 13 forfitting of the cylinders 10. From each boring there is a radiallydirected hole 14 for communication with the feed slide 9. The centreshaft is designed for receiving a cam roller 24 bolted thereto at adistance r₁ from the rotational centre (a--a).

The outer rim 2 is supported by two bearings 15 and 16, which with thebearing attachment 17 are mounted thus that the rotational centre b--bwill become parallel to (a--a) at distance e from this. Furthermore theouter rim has internally a number of spherical borings 21 for fitting ofpistons 11 and there is furthermore a cam roller 23 bolted thereto atthe distance R₁ from the rotational centre (b--b).

The synchronizing hub 3 has a supporting bearing 18 built into thebearing attachment 19, which is mounted thus that the line c--c willbecome the centre of rotation. This line is parallel to and positionedat distance e from the rotational centre (a--a) of the centre shaft butat the opposite side as compared to the line (b--b).

DRAWING II

At the machine with adjustable displacement, some details are exchangedand redesigned and the adjustment means are furthermore added. The shell4 has bores for guide bushings 26, 27, 28 and 29 and guide screws 36 and38 for guiding the new bearing attachments 20 and 22. The bushing 27 isa guidance for an adjustment screw 30, which is arranged in threads inthe bearing attachment 20, and which has a gear wheel 32 clampedthereto, and which receives its motion from a gear wheel 35 fitted tothe adjustment hand wheel 37. The bearing attachment 22 for thesynchronizing hub receives its motion in the same manner via the gearwheel 33 from the hand wheel 37, but with the intermediary of a lefthand adjustment screw 31, for giving this attachment an opposed movementat adjustment.

DRAWING III

FIG. 7 is a schematic sketch of the cross section 2--2 shown in FIG. 2.The machine is operated as a motor with the "right-hand half" aspressure side and the rotating main parts, the centre shaft 1 and theouter rim 2, have been urged to complete the same rotational angle α°from the initial position. The restricted guiding is effected in thatthe cam rollers 23 and 24 are urged by the guide rails of thesynchronizing hub to take up such positions that their rotationalcentres together with the rotational centres of the main parts form twocongruent triangles, all equally situated sides of which being parallel.Due to the pressure of the pressure medium exerted upon the cylinders 10and the pistons 11 fitted between the centre shaft 1 and the outer rim2, a piston force P_(k) is generated, which with the perpendiculardistance to the rotational centre b gives rise to a moment P_(k) ·X₁,which via the cam roller 23 and further via the synchronizing arm andvia the cam roller 24 is transformed to an output torque at the centreshaft.

The reaction force P_(k) acting in opposite direction upon the cylinder10 causes with the momentum arm X₂, a counter clockwise torque P_(k) X₂,acting directly upon the rotational centre.

The final result is an output moment from the machine M=P_(k) X₁ -P₂ X₂,where the relation between the momentum arms is X₁ :X₂ =R₀ :r₀.

I claim:
 1. A radial reciprocating engine, the frame of which isdesigned as a tubular shell with a bearing bracing bolted to each endthereof for receiving two rotating main portions of the engine, a centreshaft and an outer rim with a rotational eccentricity in relation to thecentre shaft, which are both provided with spherical attachments forpressure medium actuated pistons and cylinders, characterized thereinthat on the opposite side of the rotational centre of the centre shaftin relation to that of the outer rim, but with adjustably the samerotational eccentricity in relation to the centre shaft as the outerrim, there is mounted a synchronizing hub provided with a guide rail,forming together with two cam rollers fitted to the centre shaft and tothe outer rim respectively, a synchronizing mechanism, which besidesrestrictively guiding the rotation of the two main portions, transfersand balances the forces and moments generated by the pressure medium,thus leading to the different pairs of piston and cylinder beingsubjected to axially directed forces only and being entirely relievedfrom moment transferring cross head forces.